


Twang your braces.

by Vander38



Category: Mass Effect - All Media Types, Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-22
Updated: 2020-07-22
Packaged: 2021-03-05 05:15:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 749
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25439047
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vander38/pseuds/Vander38
Summary: As Shepard gets ready to infiltrate the party on the Citadel, Tali turns up to learn a little bit of human fashion.
Relationships: Male Shepard/Tali'Zorah nar Rayya
Kudos: 15





	Twang your braces.

The Citadel.

The political center of much of the wider milky way at large.

Though Omega may disagree.

Even now, in this time of war the Citadel is a place of wealthy playboys, grotesquely rich stars and borderline aristocratic dynasties of wealth, taste, power and politics.

Sometimes there just aren’t enough bullets are there?

And now I have to crawl into this chamber of snakes to find out who is sending mercenaries to kill me and my friends, to learn who is trying to steal my identity and to learn who is ruining my holiday!

I may have put the holiday thing too high on that list.

Regardless I am in this amazing apartment with my friends, valued colleagues and the love of my life and instead of having fun I am having to get dressed in a damn tuxedo and solve mysteries and probably shoot people.

How did my life come to this?

Still could be worse.

I could be in Florida.

I am adjusting my cuff links when the door slides open.

“Are you ready Shepard?” Comes the voice and I smile before turning round.

There she is!

Most people don’t know it but Tali is beautiful. They see the purple environment suit, the semi-opaque visor, the flashing tell-tale bulb and the big knife but they never see beyond the superficial.

I’ll admit that is partly because she is encased head to toe in a specially made armoured environmental suit that costs more than I make in six months.

And also because a lot of people see only what they expect to see and when people expect a Quarian, they see a Quarian, they don’t take a nuanced and deeper look.

Anyway she looks good tonight, well she always does but tonight she has definitely made an effort.

While she still is in the environmental suit she is wearing the formal scarfing and blade on her calf.

She looks great.

“You look good Tali.” I reply unobtrusively looking up and down.

“You like it?” She says coyly, giving a little twirl.

“Tali you could make old fatigues look good.” I say earnestly and she laughs.

“Shepard what are those straps?” She asks after a moment, pointing towards my waistline.

“Oh those are my braces.” I say as I pull them up and over my shoulders.

“Braces?” She asks, cocking her head.

“They hold my trousers up, can’t wear a belt with a tux.” I say.

“Human fashion is weird.” She replies and I can’t help but agree with her on that point.

She walks closer, her hips swaying.

“Although, it is rather.” She says, hooking her fingers behind one of the brace straps.

“Alluring.” She finishes in a very alluring way.

“Oh?” I say, stroking her arm, I know that through the suit that it is very difficult to feel touch but the heat and pressure will be there for her.

“I like it, I kinda want to see you wearing them.” She says, gently pulling on them.

“I’m wearing them now.” I say coyly.

“Maybe I would like to see you wearing only them.” She says, looking down into my eyes in a slightly demure sort of way.

“Well you’ve certainly earned a few rewards.” I say casually as my hand migrates low down on her body, to the lower wards, near the bottom.

“I am definitely going to twang on them.” She says with that obvious smirk in her voice.

“You like to twang?” I ask in a casual way, maybe we have some time before we need to go.

“Shepard, Tali we are in a hurry.” Liara says as the door opens with irritatingly perfect timing.

Tali jumps as Liara enters and she lets go of the braces which twang into my chest with a stinging snap, making me flinch.

Liara stands there with a hand on one hip and a slight smirk, like a teacher that is both amused and exasperated by a student.

“Sure, I just need to finish up.” I say, trying to keep my voice even.

Tali’s hand has disappeared behind my back, which is not helping right now.

“The taxi is on its way.” Liara says as she turns on her heel and leaves.

“We should go.” Tali says, trailing her hand over me as she walks away.

I pull my jacket and follow her, wistfully wondering where things would go if we didn’t have a party to go to.

Shame, it could have been such a nice evening.


End file.
